It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. Offshoots had disturbed the church. In verse 17, Paul says that his calling of God was to preach the Gospel, and the focus of the Gospel is the cross of Christ. Lovelessness among Christians is not a light thing.. Some are of Ritchie, and some are of Roper, and a few of Stedman! It is well known that division in the church of Corinth was over leadership. Religious snobs want to be a part of a small group who This division in the church was over their own selfish ambitions evidenced in what they wanted. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. There is no other name big enough, great enough, glorious enough, and powerful enough to gather everybody together, despite the diversity of viewpoint and the differences of background or status in life, than the name of Jesus. Going off of what Cody is saying, in todays church everything needs to be just right. I remember a few years ago being at a family congress in St. Louis, Missouri, when one of the evening speakers was Dr.Oswald Hoffman, the very capable and powerful preacher on the Lutheran Hour radio program. Paul rejects this disunity, telling the church members to focus on Christ. WebWhat were the causes of division in the Corinthian Church? The search went on until nightfall, but no answer came to their urgent calls. And, after all, Peter even walked on water!" Teaching to be effective first needs to effect/transform the life of the teacher and then connect with those who hear. Like I talked about in the first posting, the emerging church makes me question a lot of things they are doing. 11My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. Are we willing and ready to pray for unity in His Church, and work at building a stronger unity among fellow members of the congregations where we fellowship and serve? Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful It wasnt even about secondary doctrine (the second coming, the nature of baptism). As a young Christian in my early twenties during World WarII, I was stationed in Hawaii, and I became acquainted with the work of the Navigators. So rather that detailing their accomplishments as orators, Paul describes their functions (Paul planted, Apollos watered, etc.) Now, it cannot. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). It took four viewpoints to report his earthly life and ministry accurately enough to us. Now, here the apostle makes very clear that the tendency among groupies is to distort the meaning of symbols. When you get men's eyes off all these status symbols, and call them back away from following men to the Person of Christ and his cross, all the divisions will disappear. What is a clique? The third danger of groups is given in the latter part of Verse13, and on through the next few verses: Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? This is really what is behind his disclaimer on baptism in 1 Cor 1:14-16. And more than that, we have a responsibility to obey him, to follow his Lordship. Peter was an uneducated, common man and may have appealed to that group of people in Corinth. Webdivided. This Western Church soon became known as the Roman Catholic Church. I dont remember Paul seeing any thing like these issues as other than trivial. But yet the apostle says they are to be of the same mind. They embraced the values of their Roman society, which divided over ethnicity (e.g., Jews vs. Gentiles) and social rank (wise vs. foolish, powerful The content of their messages was in agreement, but the followers of these men probably focused on personality differences and distorted their teachings. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. If Paul were to visit one of these churches, he would see a good-looking man in a custom suit standing over everybody else, and his mind would go straight to the orators of his day. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. We do not know who the people were who belonged to the house of Cloe, but we must commend them for their courage and devotion. How important was unity to our Lord Jesus Christ? In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? It seems like it would be better to ask in what ways have we been re-paganized. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. They may have carried Pauls teachings of justification by faith and freedom from the Law to an extreme and felt free to do whatever they wanted. And there were some who said, "Well, when Peter came through, he baptized me. Austin Hellier Brisbane Queensland Australia. That is always the unifying factor in a church, and that is the mind that is to be among us, the mind that does not consider itself the most important thing. WebDivisions in the Church. The facts in the gospel are what will set us free, and particularly, he says, the word of the cross. Try it some time. Weve seen how important unity was to the apostle Paul. 1 Corinthians 1-4 Division in the Church, division in the church of Corinth was over leadership, 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 Lawsuits Among Brothers, Corinthiaka in New Testament Blogs | Corinthian Matters, The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World. I lead a small group so I sometimes have to sit in meetings where the pastor shares things about the vision of our church. He come to Corinth to create a community of disciples from which he might receive patronage and prestige. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Then comes that great Christological passage where he describes how Christ, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Here are our first clues as to what is wrong with this kind of cliquishness in a church. The news went out but no one had seen the little fellow. Other divisions were to follow. Only the Lord Jesus Christ could pay the penalty for our sins because only He is the Son of God. The first and perhaps biggest is denominations. We may not all agree on the way to do church but there is definitely more than one effective way. It was considered honorable for you to stand up for yourself in this way. Believers who are joined in heart should not find it difficult to be joined in hand, working together for the common good and for the glory of Christ. He said so himself. Their conflicts undoubtedly had its theological and philosophical dimensions, but it was social as well, human and petty, high on pride and low on love (Polhill 233). Like the world, Christians are too concerned with being right and having our way. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. Not when one part of the congregation meets in one part of the building, and the other part of the congregation meets in another spot. What happens when you get a tear in a piece of clothing and you keep washing and wearing that piece of clothing with the tear in it? The Corinthian church had many problems, and most of them were the result of pride and placing so much emphasis on social status. I would agree that we find ourselves in much the same situations as those listening to the Greek philosophers/orators. Phillip J. One of these influencing factors is consumerism which finds its way into even the way Christians think. The first thing Paul says is that it tends to chop up Christ and parcel him out as though his person and his work came in various packages, thus you lose perspective of the whole of Christian theology. Then youre a Christian right? Even though our conversation could only continue for about 10 more minutes, this issue of divisions within the church arose. That is why the apostle appeals to it. Conclusion. In verse 10 we see both Pauls affection for the Corinthian church, and his authority as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Obviously sin is at the heart of these divisions, but I am encouraged to hear that at least in your corner of the world there is some unification and revival. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. They became symbols of prestige and standing that became divisive factors among the men. Some pigged out at the Lord Supper; others had barely enough to eat. 1 Corinthians 1:10: I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.. (I suppose that if Dio were commenting on the modern world, he would describe the wretched bloggers shouting abuse at the temple of WordPress!). Therefore, the only basis upon which you can get Christians to agree is by setting before them the Person of the Lord Jesus, and calling them back to that fundamental base. We all know what a clique is. Having listened to Pauls words and the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is unity to each of us today? WebAnd you know, that gives me some idea of how important this is to God, because from 1:10 to the ninth verse of the sixteenth Chapter, he just talks about the errors in the church. I appreciate the perspective given by the author and agree 100% that the body of Christ is divided. Some Corinthian Christians were dividing over church teachers. Thanks for the thoughtful comment Austin. Four groups had formed in the Corinthian church. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. Anyone who claims that he or she has an exclusive part in Christ is wrong. And some of them are really gross. Its a lot harder! But first, it is very clear that he is deeply troubled by this. When the lifeless body of the little one was carried back to the anxious mother, she cried aloud, Oh why didnt you join hands before?. So they were splitting and arguing and quarreling over the relative merit and authority of these various teachers. These are not the only causes of divisions in churches today. 2 Corinthians We pray that it may be rich and real in our hearts as we live this week together. I would like to close this service by reading what one man wrote about the cross: It is well that we should think sometimes of the Upper Room and the Last Supper, and of his soul, "exceeding sorrowful unto death"; of Gethsemane and the deep shadow of the olive trees; his loneliness, prayers, and disappointment with his disciples; his bloody sweat; the traitor's kiss; the binding, the blow in the face, the spitting, the buffeting, the mocking, the scourging, the crown of thorns, the smiting; the sorrowful way and the burdensome cross; the exhaustion and collapse; the stripping, the impaling, and the jeers of his foes, and the flight of his friends; the hours on the cross; the darkness, his being forsaken of God; his thirst, and the end. Others were saying, "Well, Apollos himself baptized me." We need to be perfectly joined together in the love of Christ. Alexandria was a center for learning and philosophy. Now, Paul says this is all basically, fundamentally wrong. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. You could spot the Navigators going up and down the streets of Honolulu. All are mere teachers; there is only one Lord. It is possible, though, that the divisions among The Navigators in those days did a great work in the Navy throughout the whole of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and hundreds of young men were led to Christ through their efforts during the war years. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. 2- The Churchs division. Apollos was an intellectual. A young pastor who was facing that problem in his church called me this week from another state. Website 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries. I told them that I do not foresee and end to these divisions anytime soon (sadly). We reveal our immaturity when we insist that only those with certain characteristics are the ones we will listen to, or we feel can bless or strengthen our lives. Was Paul crucified for you? In the year 1 054 the Church was divided into two parts: 1) The Greek Eastern Church 2) The Roman Western Church. Many of us are familiar with this common phenomenon in human psychology of thinking that some symbolic thing that is of use to us is so important that we finally make it a badge of the group to which we belong. WebAccording to Paul, the communitys problems were the consequence of the Corinthians mistaken belief that they had already been exalted. Their relationship to Christ was the unifying factor of the church. His Word does not disagree with itself. It seems like this isnt a problem and doesnt affect the church much in its present state. (I have been trying for a long time to get my wife to accept that!) 10I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. Paul did not want to present the Gospel as an orator, competing for students as they did. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. It is possible that these divisions represent competing house churches, some founded by Paul, some by Apollos. If someone comes on preaching the doctrines that were emphasized during the Reformation, he will get a great following of people who think that the Reformation was the whole sum and substance of all great Christian truth. How important was unity to the apostle Paul, and to the Holy Spirit who moved Him to write this letter to the Church in Corinth? Not even a three-fourths vote should carry a motion. Paul doesnt want these divisions to continue, so he offers them an alternative. They failed to take seriously the power of evil; their behavior caused divisions in the church and led to a lack of concern for other members. Paul wants the Corinthian church to mend the broken relationships that have been caused by the divisions among its members. When everybody decides to put the things of Christ first, and is willing to suffer loss that the honor and glory of Christ might be advanced, that is what brings harmony in a congregation. They are still acting just like the world. This is the challenge of the divisions in 1 Corinthians how does the modern church act just like the world? The Greek word used here literally means to say the same thing. He addresses them as brethren. I personally experienced this at work about a year and a half ago. These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. So Paul is insisting that the Corinthians, and all believers, have doctrinal unity that is clearly based on Gods Word. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. The organ begins the bridal march, and everyone stands. When you call them back to an understanding of the meaning of the cross, you will find all the divisions disappearing; they fade away like the morning mist. They were caused by Cliques (1:12; 3:4). In what ways have we failed to de-paganize? The anxiety of the childs mother continued to grow, for she knew that her boy was somewhere out in the darkness where wild animals were constantly on the prowl. He then goes on to describe for us the mind of Christ, which is a willingness to give up rights and personal privileges and give in and take a lower place. He finds that there is a great deal of parallels between the disciple-teacher relationship in the culture of Corinth and the problem of divisions in the church over the authority of teachers. Although the modern church has improved in many ways compared to the ancient churches, there is still the issue of division that exists among differing churches as was in the ancient churches. On Friday of this week we will gather again to consider the cross of Christ. Each group claimed to be better than the others, and party spirits began to grow in the church. Some considering Paul their authority, other Apollos, others Peter, and still others accepted only Jesus as their authority. This is not what the Church was meant to be like, and I fully believe that Paul would be appalled by our actions today as a Church of believers in Jesus Christ. That was a mark of status with them. No, he says that is not why he was sent: "I was not sent to emphasize symbols, but, positively, I was sent to preach a whole gospel, not one emphasizing style, not in wisdom of words, but that which emphasizes content." In Matthew 12:25 the Lord Jesus says, Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand.. I have had people say to me, "Oh, Mr. Stedman, when you speak I see so clearly! So undoubtedly there was a big group that followed Paul. And some of them are really gross. For permission to use this content, please review These are two common causes of church divisions in the West. We tend to fall out along doctrinal lines or because we are drawn to one charismatic pastor over another. The ground, of course, is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Her hair is messed up! A. Paul exhorts them to agree. In these cases, there should be freedom to agree to disagree. There he indicates that the problem with cliquishness is that it tends to overemphasize the significance of the human leader. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, and whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. You and I cant have more of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we can give Him more of ourselves, and experience more fully what is already ours as children of God. I hang on every word you say. Paul condemns their behavior in verse 13 by saying, Has Christ been divided? In other words, have different amounts of Christ been given to different people? In comparison to modern churches, its easy to say that there are hardly any divisions among Christians and differing churchesbut could these divisions still exist today? One of the celebrities was Paul himself some believers at Corinth actually claimed to be his followers. On opening it you found a loose-leaf notebook with many of the small, half-page materials that the Navigators printed their Bible helps on. (1 Corinthians 1:12 RSV) Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. Paul is going to go on to describe this radical force that is so different than anything else there is nothing like it in the world. Throughout this 2000 year process of normalizing divisions among believers, we have consistently neglected the fact we Jesus should unite us, and unless we choose to make a change, we will continue to forget this fact. What should our evaluation of a ministry look like I wonder if its not by numbers? I thank God that only a few of you can say that about me." WebPaul goes right on, in Verse 12, to describe the forms that these divisions were taking in the church of Corinth: What I mean is that each one of you says, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas" [another name for Peter], or "I belong to Christ." If we are, all our differences and difficulties would soon come to an end. He has Masters degrees in Biblical Exposition and Old Testament from Talbot School of Theology (BIOLA) and a PhD in New Testament from Andrews University. It is popularized in the movie Mean Girls. 7-False zeal for spiritual gifts. The Protestant Reformation had its beginnings in 1517 (see Chapter 1 0). Even as Christians, there seems to be the desire of wanting to uphold one pastor over another by comparison and ultimately glorifying certain pastors. Their divisions, lack of church discipline, lawsuits, abuse of Christian liberty and over-emphasis of the gift of tongues, all illustrate this root problem. Some followed Apollos whom they honored above Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4; Acts 18:24 to 19:1). Now, the Apostle Paul is very concerned about this matter of incipient division in the church at Corinth, and he begins dealing with it in this powerful appeal for unity in Verse10: I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. Are we willing to love each other as Christ loved us? In verses 14 to 16, Paul uses himself as an example. It would be great if all of you would think like me, but unfortunately there are stubborn ones among you, there are depraved ones among you, there are those who have different backgrounds than I have, and some of you just do not think like I do! (1Corinthians 1:17 RSV). It is not merely that the Church is everywhere split up into sections, but that this has led to party strife and jealousy. That is the problem, and it is still going on today. In verse 11, Paul gives the reason for his appeal for unity in the church at Corinth. I think today if church leaders focus on Jesus and only Jesus we would be so much healthier. They were also not afraid to be mentioned in Pauls letter to the church. It seems unbelievable at first to think that this kind of division exists within the modern church, but more often than not it is actually one of the most common reasons for division. When you follow one man you are getting a view of Christ, but there is no teacher in the church who has ever come along -- including the Apostle Paul himself -- who has ever had a totally complete view of Christ. This is the result of a religious snobbery associated by cliques that produced pride and conflict. Dio Chrysostom complained that Corinth was filled with wretched sophists, many of whom were debating one another with shouting and abuse near the temple to Poseidon. Conclusion. I have been in many places where they were having church fights and almost invariably the thing that gives away that a church is in trouble is when people start talking about "my church," not in the sense that is perfectly proper as meaning, "The church where I go," but leaders of the church actually saying, "This is our church," and telling other people they have no rights to do something because the church belongs to them. 5-Members going to pagan courts to settle disputes. When I say worn out I mean people say that it is not usable in the modern world so its words become little more than foot rests in the pew. They failed to take seriously the power of evil; their behavior caused divisions in the church and led to a lack of concern for other members. I. PAULS APPEAL FOR UNITY (verses 10-12). It is the popular thing today to cry, "Back to the Reformation!" To an unbeliever, this looks like we cannot agree on our own religion. WebThe Christians at Corinth were dividing the church by pledging their loyalties to different celebrities. It is sad to see that our world appears just as divided today as it did back in the first century. So, just a few texts and there are so many more. It was expected. He had received a report from the household of Cloe that there were quarrels among the members of the Corinthian church. Sometimes a church leader can have so much clout that he begins to have cult status. Members follow him blindly and whatever they do seems right to them. 14I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. They were dividing over this whole issue, and Paul says it is all wrong. (1Corinthians 1:12 RSV), Now, there was the trouble at Corinth. The most well known one is having worship on Sundays instead of the Sabbath. Yes, we have the core beliefs that most Christians will agree upon, but the rest is still very confusing to non-believers. Offshoots had disturbed the church. Do we need to be looking for results? It is possible, though, that the divisions among There are those who are emotionally attached to some great Christian leader who has helped them, and they will only listen to him. Paul here introduces that which can cure divisions, both negatively and positively. This is what Paul does here. If we sacrifice quality for numbers I dont think we are being good stewards of our gift of leadership.
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